Silage season has been slightly slow to get going here in the northwest.

While May was a relatively good month for grass growth, the last two weeks have been wetter and colder and unless silage was saved in the second last week of May it is still standing in fields.

Grass growth rates have also taken a hit, with my latest growth rate standing at 53kg dry matter per hectare per day – down from the previous two weeks of 83 and 71kg respectively.

Britain

The weather is not the only uncertainty in the farming world at the moment, with Brexit remaining a hot topic at any gathering of farmers or business people.

It was hoped that the calling of an election by Theresa May would bring some certainty to the situation, however, there appears to be more uncertainty than ever. Britain appears, at this moment anyway, to be heading for a hard Brexit, which includes leaving the customs union. This leads to the imposition of WTO tariffs on our exports to Britain and an inevitable border.

Farmers need all the friends they can get, and building relationships between the primary producer, the processor and the end customer should be a high priority

It is a well known at this stage what this means for Irish agricultural exports, and particularly beef exports, which is why the current expansion of live export numbers is vital for the future of the beef farmer.

Farmers need all the friends they can get, and building relationships between the primary producer, the processor and the end customer should be a high priority. At a recent farm walk a large beef finisher asked the rhetorical question: “Why should I fall out with my factory? They are my customer and I need to produce the product they want.”

I thought this was a valid and wise point of view.

Green party

Similarly, the leader of the Green Party, Eamon Ryan said at a conference recently that his party and farmers must work together and be friends. An interesting statement and perhaps showing a realisation by the Green party that without farmer support in rural Ireland, their chances of being in Government are slim.

So, with a new Taoiseach about to be appointed, Ireland and the country’s beef farmers need all the friends they can muster up to deal with current issues, including Brexit fallout and low incomes.

Farm incomes

Cattle rearing farms with an average farm income in 2016 of €12,908 as shown in the Teagasc National Farm Survey, are unsustainable and without building friendships with our customers in Ireland, Britain and abroad the future could be very bleak.

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